Here's a question...

In a word, no. It was something the players decided to do because their dumb kids and they wanted to have a good time and thought this was the way to do it. I remember being a dumb kid and have no problem with it as long as they don't lose their focus. This one practice will not be a difference maker.

hey these are kids playing a kids game and it's a tradition... It's no big deal...

I agree completely. Above all they are kids. They did pick a good time to do it but u can be sure they will be doing extra gassers and up-downs to atone for their prank!!

I just hope that if the "tradition" continues next year that it be better planned - like, say, for the first day during a bye week. That way there are minimal interruptions and we don't look stupid if there happen to be a couple of recruits who took their time to come and see what practice is like.

"because their dumb kids"

Irony.

I don't think Neu set the tone for what happened. I'd chalk it up more to senioritis than anything else. Certainly his stance didn't help stop it though, but it didn't encourage it.

It's a tradition now, so let them be kids. They still have weeks to practice for a game, when they usually only have days. they'll be fine.
before the bowl game, they'll still go on trips around D.C. etc., this wont be the only fun they'll have.
Good for them.

Jon my concerns are that there did not appear to be 100%
of the players if favor of this. If it is a " Team Building" event one would think that everybody should be on the same page.
From the comments I have read this may lead to some division in the team. Time will tell.

Evan: too funny!

Jon, how about this question: If, and a big if, UCLA loses to Temple how would The Wall be viewed by CRN and would there be second guessing playing the younger players?

Rico:

What comments did you read?

I dont think a loss would ever be blamed on one missed practice...where Prince, the starting QB wouldn't even be practicing.
I think people are making a big deal out of this for nothing.
Every practice is important sure, but by now, these kids should be ready. If 14 weeks into practices, they aren't ready for Temple, then they never will be.
Temple will play hard for sure, but they are not the caliber of Arizona or ASU or Stanford or Washington or Oregon or OSU etc.. etc.. etc..

get over it already...im sure CRN will do some extra drills for them today.

Plus they havent started to prepare for Temple yet. That starts Thursday!

Bottom line is this team does not even belong in a Bowl, and they certainly showed it with this latest stunt. Truly amazing.

The real question is, "Would one more practice help the Bruins win this game and prepare for next year?" I think the answer is "yes."

Regardless of the motivation by our players, I think skipping practice is a mistake. If the Bruins lose, the wall will be remembered

A wise man once said....

"Its easy to talk about, its easy to sum it up when you just talk about practice. We sittin' in here, I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talkin' about practice. I mean listen, we talkin bout practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game. We talkin bout practice. Not a game, not a, not a, not the game that I go out there and die for, and play every game like its my last. Not the game. We talkin' bout practice, man. I mean how silly is that? We talkin' bout practice. I know I'm supposed to be there, I know I'm supposed to lead by example. I know that, and I'm not shovin' it aside, you know, like it don't mean anything. I know its important, I do. I honestly do. But we talkin' bout practice, man. What are we talkin' bout? Practice? We talkin' bout practice man.

-Allen Iverson

Yo, Johnny Boy. I don't think the wall thing, and the senior thing had anything in common. From what i've read it seems like this decision was made a while ago during spring ball. But I think its a dumb tradition. Lets install a tradition of winning first before we start anything else. How about a tradition of scoring some TDs!!!!!!!!!!!!! I understand its met to be fun. But these players haven't practiced in weeks. Shouldn't they be foaming at the mouth to get out there? Like I said in the chat last night. I spend way too much time on this blog.

VT had a similar "tradition" in the past - they played hard all season but then took bowl prep as a time to have fun. Consequently, they could usually be counted on to lose their bowl games. Last year, the team leaders stepped up and said no more. They broke the tradition and won their BCS bowl. Winners practice hard every day, losers don't. I for one can't wait until the Jrs and Srs are gone (save for the few really good ones).

To answer that question, you'd have to be a mind reader. You'd have to be able to read, not one mind, but multiple minds.

If anything, Coach Neuheisel should never have told the players last year that they could think about going over the wall if they made a bowl game. He should've put his foot down on their throats then and told them who's boss.

Bottom line: Jon, you reported that Coach Neuheisel would rather have had the practice time than the "bonding" time, the phony line the players are feeding everyone. It was a dumb stunt, and I hope the coaches work the players butts off to make up for it. This is Division I football, not high schoolers playing in the mud.

BTW, didn't these guys just have over a week off while they waited to see if they got to a bowl game?

A dumb tradition by dumb players. How about starting a new tradition of walking home after a loss? That'll stop this nonsense. Unbelievable!

Jon just read your article and I cannot disagree more with your just one game comment. The teams performance is this bowl game will be closely monitored by recruits, media, fans etc. This game could build some vitally needed momentum going into a very important season for the future of this program. This so called team building exercise at the expense of some important practice time especially for the younger kids is a bad decision.

Didn't the guys just finish finals!!!??? C'mon!! It's a dumb tradition done at a good time. They will pay for it in sweat and start getting ready for the game.

Now if we were in the National Championship game, I assure you this would not be going on!! We're in the EAGLEBANK Bowl GUYS!! C'mon!!!

A much wiser coach than Iverson said "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." John Wooden.

I am concerned that RN does not seem to focus on winning but rather appears to pursue secondary goals such as giving younger players more reps.

If RN wants to be taken seriously he should focus on winning the bowl game and lead by example.

It will be fun if UCLA beats Temple.

I'd like to take Iverson's quote and substitute "fun" for "practice"

Neuheisel's words and actions may have played a part in it but the older guys should know to leave a legacy of striving for something better than mediocrity. They should have started a new tradition of 1s vs 1s and 2s vs 2s in the red zone. The side of the ball that comes up short doing wind sprints.

It's obvious Neuheisel has more work to do in turning around the culture of Bruins football.